Chandigarh is all set to host the first VX-2 (Rock-It-Ball) World Championship

Chandigarh is all set to host the first VX-2 (Rock-It-Ball) World Championship at two squash courts of the Sector 43 Sports Complex from August 17 to 19. The tournament will be held in the Youth (U-14 yrs), Senior (above 18 yrs) & Masters (40+ yrs) categories. According to the organiser S S Tiwari , teams from England, Hong Kong, Uganda,Nepal,UAE and the hosts India will participate in the championship.“This will be for the first time that the city will host the World Championships of a British-origin sport. We are looking forward to make this sport popular here,” said Dr Suman Shankar Tiwari, CEO VX India at Press Conference held at Tamzaraa today. VX-2 is a sport played in Britain since 2006 and has been gaining popularity since then. “We have been organising VX championships for the past few years at the local level. It’s difficult to get support for a new sport, however, we are trying to get some attention from this championships. After this championship, the experts will introduce this sport to the masses here,” added Tiwari. The Indian team is preparing for this championship at the Panjab University indoor hall and Sports Complex Sector 43.According to coach Davinder Kohli, who will also represent India in the veterans category, a total of 30 players have been selected for the preparatory camp. “As many as 17 players will be selected to represent the nation in this World Championship. The Indian team had performed well in the V3 World Championships last year. The VX-2 event is no different, and I hope, our team lead by Sahil will bag laurels here also,” said Kohli.The V2 event is the most powerful version of the sport and is played by two players on a squash court with three balls. The duration of match is eight minutes with a one-minute break.The main equipment required is VstiX (long racquets with nets on both ends) which is used to throw the ball towards the opponent. “It’s a new sport and we are still learning it. It is a bit expensive to pursue this sport. One VstiX costs around Rs 4,000-5,000. In India, it is not recognised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports or by any state sports association. Many people opt for squash or badminton over VX, which again is a challenge for us to make this sport popular,” added Kohli.